How To Write The "Perfect" Ambitious Character

[Music] ambition nah nah [ __ ] that [ __ ] y' already know what time it is hey yo Johnny it's time to turn up on these [ __ ] call me when you get lost [Music] there is nothing more inspiring than watching someone dedicate themselves to a goal to chase an aspiration to chase a dream is to truly live I think but it's not just simply about completing a task or reaching a goal nah man it's about Drive the mindset of the ambitious dedicate everything you are every moment every minute every second to the

dream to strive for the impossible to do whatever it takes witnessing someone fight to The Bitter End to finally turn their dream into a reality there is no feeling like it it makes me feel like I can do anything that's why I love them why I love the ambitious character now there are many many many examples of ambitious characters in every different type of media from Naruto wanting to become Hokage to Nathan Drake wanting to prove himself as a treasure hunter to Andrew Neiman wanting to be a great jazz player and also wanting JK Simmons

to shut up for a change if you deliberately sabotage my band I will [ __ ] you like a pig but you know how this works by now don't you the real question is what would I classify as the perfect ambitious character model well funny enough one of my favorite mangas of all time is about a different ambitious jazz player Blue Giant JK Simmons is not in this one though sorry I swear to [ __ ] God I will stop being so polite get the [ __ ] out of my sight before I demolish you

it follows the story of the protagonist D Who falls in love with jazz at a young age and chases his dream to become a prolific jazz saxophone player the length die will go to achieve his dream despite the odds and the character interactions he has with his family friends and random strangers is some of the most endearing material I've ever read my personal favorite section of the story is the quiet conversation Dy has with his father over dinner D expressed his unexplainable love for playing the saxophone his inability to put it into words or share

it with other people knowing it's not a traditional career path to become a jazz player but also feeling the strong need to do it the want to do it you can feel the fear in his words as he's saying all of this to his father but then is greeted by approval I remember shedding a tear reading this part being someone who had a similar moment with my dad Blue Giant is a beautiful depiction of an ambitious character whose drive has varying effects on the people around him and it had an intense effect on me as

a reader it's good and I don't really get a chance to talk about it much with people so I think you should read it sometime when you get a chance also some girl I was dating once dead ass took the first volume I had out of my house I'm not sure why she did that like who just takes something like that you know what I mean like I remember saying she could read it while we were chilling in my room but I didn't think she was actually going to take it and to make matters worse

I wasn't inter all that much so I back that would have required me to speak to her I really didn't want to do that so I kind of just let that one that sound whatever I just want the volume again I it voice is that I feel the sensation Hunter Hunted I feel high yet the chase remains to break free to rise above rain I seek until then what's here remains to be praised to be denied I'm must see it through I love the chase running hiding I see coming satisfaction to rise above all I'll

achieve it soon I feel the sensation fight or flight it's constant my shaking I should just pick one I Johnny star I'm flight I am I amation love depression anxiety I seek the sun to see it through if God exists could I become God too oh there you are we were talking earlier and you disappeared which wouldn't be the first time you know I'm starting to wonder where you go after our little talks what do you see what did you see you know the reason I created you was so I could have someone to be

honest with trust is important in any friendship real friends shouldn't keep things from each other that's what we are right [Laughter] friends sorry I guess I'm uh a bit stressed at the moment I tried going on one of my tant again with Christa you know shrinks they get testy when you don't let them into your head it's fine we have more important matters to discuss that being finishing our conversation from earlier ambitious characters are really important to me and have always given me the framework to achieve my own dreams but lately I feel like something

has changed I'm not sure how to explain it and I wasn't sure how to fix this problem I'm having so I want to explore the concept of the ambitious character in things like anime and manga so maybe I can express how I'm feeling better and perhaps find an answer with you together sounds fun good so let's have an honest conversation about we're going to go ambition [Music] now look I know I know I always end up talking about one piece but hey it's literally my number two favorite series of all time I've read it front

to back like five times and one piece is a perfect place to start talking about ambition the whole series is built around people's dreams and those dreams having a wider effect on the world itself one piece is littered with ambitious characters but we're going to focus on the most obvious character who depicts this concept perfectly [Music] [Laughter] wait wait you didn't think I was going to talk about Luffy did you he gets enough love for me as it is and I also don't view Luffy as the archetype of the ambitious character or at the very

least not as much as the demon swordsman himself [Music] [ __ ] orzoro is practically designed to be the embodiment of dedication chasing the title of the strongest swordsman to ever exist a promise made to a deceased friend that has guided him to this point in the series Zoro treats every encounter as a another step closer to that dream taking advantage of battles with worthy opponents especially swords as a way to test his strength as he climbs the ladder it gives his fights an added layer of intrigue where not only are we watching to see

Zoro overcome another fighter but also to see how he will grow from the fight looking at his battles with Mr one or Pika or King Zoro is able to walk away from the fight with a new perspective or technique that will lead him closer to achieving his goal he will push himself to the brink even if it means death Because he believes his life was forfeit the moment he chose this path to begin with the ambitious character to me is one who dedicates their very being to the goal they hope to achieve it's inspiring to

see someone turn every opportunity into a chance to improve and that's something I would like to implement more into my own life Zoro is a character that makes me feel like I can be dedicated be someone who can focus on my own path what I also love about Zoro is how his dedication plays a role in all of his decision-making for someone who comes off as a onrack mind meat head Zoro is extremely pragmatic and often more levelheaded than characters like Nami offering words of wisdom much needed commentary and even needed sacrifice in one piece's

most dire moments his dedicated nature bleeds into his relationships and his behavior when it matters most I often see fans of One Piece bring up moments like nothing matters or not here to play pirate to Showcase zoro's pragmatism but my favorite moment is how he handled things during water seven after the fight with Usopp at the most uncertain point in the ark Usopp leaving the crew Sanji disappearing Robin seemingly betraying them the crew seems to be falling apart and everyone is rushing to find answers to move forward but it was Zoro who decided to wait

and observe when the time came to make a move Zoro was there to steer Luffy in the right direction this may come off as laziness but I see this as an example of Zoro showing off how dedicated he was to making sure the crew came out of this mess in one piece pun intended not making unnecessary moves or judgments thinking what they level head that is who Zoro is dedicated to his dream and his crew all right so dedication important element but being ambitious also takes a lot of Courage it can be scary people will

judge the task may seem too difficult the goal too far out of reach that is when you must develop an Iron Will the confidence to reach the [Music] gods black star is one of my favorite characters of all time but he wasn't always the first time I ever watched soer I found him incredibly annoying his boastful nature just to Fumble the simplest of tasks didn't really hit home for me sure he was strong and cool looking but I was more drawn to characters like kid quirky characters who could lock in and be the strongest in

the room if need be kid prioritized being perfect in every way and at the time I wanted to be like that until I got to this scene by talking constantly about what a star he is and how big he is black stars actually driving himself without even meaning to driving himself what once seemed like Miss Place bravado was shown to be the key behind his ability to keep going through mistakes believing in himself made his soul stronger like a light appearing above my head this idea sparked something in me fake it till you make it

could I do it too from this moment on I understood black star a bit more little by little this character that I didn't care for would become someone that would inspire me the most the confidence of the ambitious character will allow them to push past the words of naysayers push past not only the limits placed on You by others but also the limits you place on yourself because of Black Star's confidence he was able to overcome many things the history of his family's name the darkness within his own heart and the path of the warrior

that had claimed so many before him all while holding on to his mindset of I'll surpass the power of the Gods it would become his superpower that could even fight back against Concepts Beyond human comprehension and allow him to ascend above the very Gods actually I feel like I'm being too poetic for this point to get across so let's just run through some things black star has done to drive this point home Blackstar has grabbed a laser out of the sky with his bare hands and threw it back at the enemy counter the effects of

a sound attack by outs screaming it because it just bothered him picked up the tooth of the Moon and threw it taught himself how to fly cuz he saw someone else do it took a full powered laser to the mouth then shot it back out because [ __ ] it I guess and that's just to name a few black star stands as a reminder to me that no matter where you come from who your family is no matter how human you are and how many mistakes you've made no matter what believe in yourself and you

can do it have faith in you and if you do that any ambition can be achieved even learning how to fly uh maybe don't actually try that though especially into like open traffic to the freeway y' okay don't do it the freeway he speaking finger dedication and confidence yeah those themes might be all you need to make a good ambitious character but taking it a step further one must look at the ambition itself the goal what is it what does it look like why is it so important to achieve the answer will vary from person

to person but it's got to be something it has to mean something for Better or For [Music] Worse much like black star Sasuke uch was a character I did not understand when you think about characters that are inspiring and ambitious Naruto usually is the character that comes to mind and it was that way for me too Naruto made me feel like I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it to never give up to never go back on my word no matter how tough things got in contrast I felt nothing for

Sasuke he was edgy cold and super focused on some concept of obvious poisonous Revenge that I just couldn't relate to even though everyone who was a fan of the series seemed to love him I could never understand why Sasuke always felt like less of a character and more of a vessel for the theme of Revenge which works for the story Kishimoto was trying to tell but it wasn't enough for me but then during a recent reread through Naruto I realized something behind the cold stare behind the Vengeance behind the wall that I couldn't peer over

before was a boy who loved his family the driving force behind Sasuke's actions from the very start of the series was not some Avengers oath to strike down perfect Justice or an empty vessel of a lesson where Revenge could lead you to close your eyes when being asked by one of the greatest ninja to ever exist what you want to do with everything that's going on to Simply remember the time you spent with your brother the person that mattered to you the most to see the pain in his face from remembering these thoughts and the

love that he felt for him this completely shifted my perspective on this character and truly made me appreciate that a purpose and meaning to your existence and why you fight this panel turned Sasuke into my favorite character in Naruto it made me remember every moment like it on Sasuke's Journey those Quiet Moments of contemplation in even the most stressful situations where he is reminded of why he keeps going what has guided him up to this point are the memories of those he has lost and the weight of their souls resting on his shoulders the specifics

of sas's ambition May sway the actual goal itself changes as he follows his path but the purpose behind it all and what it means for him to achieve it has never wavered to avenge his loved ones and write the wrongs placed upon his clan to honor the memories he holds dear of his mother his father and his beloved older brother the ambitious character that guides me holds dear to the purpose behind their ambition it's not enough to achieve for the sake of achieving it it has to mean something to feed the soul or to heal

it I related to Sasuke in that way my ambition meant showing myself that my life was worth living that I have something to offer fighting tooth and nail to prove something like that even if others don't understand it means something to me I often think about something Sasuke said to Kakashi surely he wasn't in his right mind when he said it but these words stuck with me still having the passing thought of giving up on his crusade to turn back to his friends at the hidden Leaf only to hear screams and laughter the screams of

his clan being slaughtered and the laughter of those who get to live happily because of it to Sasuke Letting Go means forsaking the mission he has set on forsaking his love for his clan Sasuke was proven Wrong by Naruto that heading straight into darkness was not the answer to honoring his family and finding peace that it was okay to create new ways to love and keep living in the light in the end but I still admire Sasuke for who he is I didn't understand it at first maybe it came with maturing and seeing the world

through my own eyes but I can see what I had been missing now Sasuke's purpose was not about vengeance but about love and that is a powerful thing dedication confidence and purpose the building blocks of the ambitious character qualities that throughout my own Journey I've tried to adopt to achieve my own goals surprisingly I have anime and manga to thank for a lot of my development as a person I know it may sound pretty lame but as someone who is fascinated by Characters themes and the deeper message being presented by the authors of these stories

I found myself being inspired by profound words of wisdom or relating to fictional characters more than people I've met these characters have provided me the tools to keep going on my path to achieve my dream that being ambitious and chasing an ambition is to truly live or at least that's what I thought I'm not sure if you know this since we've never talked about it before I have a YouTube channel I've been working at it for a long time now and it was the most important thing in the world to me in the seven years

of making videos I've been through so much heartbreak depression the pain I've experienced has brought me to my lowest points but the one thing that has remained constant has been the channel my goal became to make something of it express myself to the fullest through videos get better at editing released more videos bigger projects more subscribers more views my ambition was to be the greatest in my Niche that I could possibly be to prove to everyone that I could do it to myself that I'm worth it if I could just get to 10K I will

have made it just one more video one more idea one more upload I can do it I have to stay dedicated I have to stay confident remember the purpose behind it just keep going I can do it I can do it I can do it I did it I made it 10K subscribers all my hard work had finally paid off but what why do I feel so empty still was it all an illusion at first glance it might seem that sosuke Eisen is an icious man or uh chinami after all he is the central antagonist

of bleach whose ultimate goal is to become the new God emperor of the universe that's about as ambitious of a goal as a character could possibly have right but what if I told you eisen's ambition was another one of his illusions at the end of his fight with eizen Ichigo reflects on their battle with urahara and expresses that he felt in the Fallen Captain's blade was eons of loneliness looking for someone anyone to call an equal only to come up short eizen is unique among typical ambitious characters his strength was not something strived for it

was a natural phenomenon bestowed upon him at Birth so he never had that struggle we would associate with a black star or Zoro instead eizen had a different problem Eisen is a man cursed by his own exceptionalism whether it was his ungodly amounts of of Riu Superior intellect or even skill with the blade Eisen found himself eternally Peerless so after hundreds of years of looking he gave up and concluded that if he could not find an equal then surely that must mean he was destined to rule over everyone as a God but there was already

a God the soul King so eizen finally found Hope in finding not only an equal but someone who might even be better than him someone to serve and finally give him an excuse to just be another Soul Reaper like everyone else but when he found out his only chance for peace was nothing more than a candied corpse he went crazy and that's the story of bleach thank you thank you yes I am very smart in that entire time eizen never gave up on his hope of finding an equal Gan tozen the aspat and Ichigo were

all surrogates and attempt to maybe Foster something better than himself that however was one of the only two failures s Eisen would ever experience in his now Immortal Life the second was his defeat to Ichigo kurasaki this fight Finally Revealed what was behind eisen's facade a desire to lose the hogu a vertible wishing orb that eizen had fused with since isan's dual motivations his desire to ascend to godhood and his desire to be normal so through Ichigo or through his own self-doubt eizen walked away in Immortal more powerful than ever but one that would be

in prison for 20,000 years now a prisoner to the world he betrayed but in a way content losing was an experience that was foreign to him and it was through Ichigo that he could finally feel anything related to a normal experience by the end we can conclude that eisen's ambition was just another cover it was an illusion he gave himself self as an excuse to keep going but as is the case with eisen's curse even this false purpose he gave himself was not only a legitimate grievance to the soul Society but the entire time eizen

was trying to lose but his own Talent wouldn't let him Eisen is not a typical ambitious character he's capable competent talented skilled beyond measure but these abilities even more than is shikai hide how little his heart was in it to begin with and there in lies the problem for as much as I would like to believe that I was doing everything I could to be more like Zoro or black star or even SAS and my approach to my own ambition I find myself realizing that I was behaving more like eizen I had placed myself under

an illusion to hide from my own truth like him my ambition was a veil placed over my heart and now that I have achieved what I believed I've wanted I see the veil lifted and what is left is my mother's face when I was a kid my mom passed away she was my first friend she looked out for me when I was scared or upset she always knew how to make me feel better she never judged me or made me feel small all even when she got sick I I felt I could always depend on

her my last conversation with her was her calming me down um after I was really upset that my sister uh put my beautiful Joe GameCube disc on the ground I was crying closed the door locked myself in my room my dad would pass me the phone and her words would soothe me like they always did when she died I felt alone the only person in the world who understood me had left and wasn't coming back I would go on living with that void sitting in my heart and would do anything I could to fill it

I became a people pleaser at school do dumb things to make friends I would get in trouble and fall in with the wrong people just so someone would like me I would lash out at home fight back against my dad or my stepmom or or my siblings I I was quick to anger always feeling like an outcast like they were out to get me you know that that feeling of loneliness becomes so ingrained in you that it's hard to see when people are just trying to help especially when you're a teenager trying to figure it

out all on your own shut loved ones out which just makes the void even bigger I internalized everything bad grades shortcomings rejection scoldings I started hating myself asking what was the point of someone like me continuing on when there seemingly was no one to wanted me around wouldn't it just be better if I wasn't here would everyone be better off I don't know if any of this sounds cliche but I carry that feeling with me still I've even attempted to end it all twice now I'm sorry I'm sorry I I know this is a lot

you know i' I feel like I've tried everything to fill this void I've put up so many walls I've cried so many tears I've worked so many sleepless nights every video every edit every upload has just been me feeling trying to fill this void of loneliness with validation from strange ERS that's what all this was for in the end that's how it feels I've made so many friends and I've met so many people and I've been given so much praise for all of the work I've done but I don't feel any different I don't have

the answer I didn't find it and I'm I'm afraid that I never will what what what was the point why did I keep going I don't know what to do now I just I just want to be at peace how do I do it how can how how can I finally just how do I be free Freedom cannot be forced into existence nor can it be one from painful struggle Freedom cannot be bought or sold it has nothing to do with one's social status one's profession is of no consequence in order for you to accept

yourself as you are and live with your soul at peace you must simply teach yourself to let it be only then we discover [Music] Freedom once you've decided to live by the sword it doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong what matters most is whether it's fun Vagabond is full of wisdom and memorable quotes from characters that inhabit its pages but this quote in particular was the one that stuck out the most during my readr to live By The Sword it's a concept that permeates throughout vagab Bond's narrative at first glance it is simply the

act of fighting with the blade which is something I'm naturally drawn to being a fan of media like Samurai shamp PLO sword of the stranger and Seven Samurai but in actuality the way of the sword is more of an ideology a state of being that can be applied to any individual's way of life Vagabond is littered with well-written engaging character stories revolving around understanding their own way of the sword many in the literal sense asking questions like what does it mean to be a swordsman is it Fame a powerful technique Living Without Fear seeking death

through combat for others the question becomes less straightforward is your way of the sword to be a good father to be a role model for your clan to sacrifice what you must for your family to live a good life if the way of the sword can be seen as one's ambition or purpose in life what does that look like for me what is my way of the sword these were questions that I was left asking myself as I read this story Vagabond is almost mystical in the way it's crafted unlike other series I've come across

vagabon almost comes alive and forces you inside its narrative asking the reader what its words mean to them what started as a simple readr of a manga that had been heavily recommended to me by close friends became a journey of self-discovery and an opportunity to find the answer I was searching for I was lost after reaching what I had thought was my dream my ambition and feeling Hollow after I wanted to find the answer to what it meant to live by the sword through this story and in that moment I had become moushi mamoto [Music]

moushi is a special character to me unlike Zoro or Blackstar or even Sasuke characters that I had formed strong affinities for and built my Essence around trying to be more like them on my path Musashi showed me the truth a truth that I could not see by going on this journey with him I witnessed a man fighting just like me to find the meaning in his own existence from his fight in his home Village and proverbial defeat at the hand of takan Soho I saw a boy who had been treated like a demon his whole

life finally accept that it's okay to live from his first defeat as Masashi mamoto against the yoshioka clan I witnessed a man realized the limits of his current strength and the overwhelming high mountain he must climb to make his ambition come true from his fight with inin his encounter with old man yagu the death match with K sui Kaz or even simple conversations with characters like the swordsmith Not only would I be in awe at how beautifully Illustrated and well written this story is but I would also see glimpses of my past times where I'd

been through what Musashi was going through so to speak I would feel his pain fear frustration but also his Joy his excitement the anticipation for the next battle ahead I felt as though I was there with him traveling the dirt roads across Japan as mhi attempted to strengthen his way of the sword by taking on strong opponents I was trying to understand mine and this all came to a head head here this is one of the greatest battles I've ever come across in any story period one man battling to survive and prove his strength against

70 Swordsmen who fight to protect their honor and Avenge the heads of their Clan who had been cut down by moushi this fight is awe inspiring intense page turn after page turn of grit passion bloodlust and a clash of ideals one man fighting to the best of his ability to make it out alive fighting to prove that he is truly Invincible Under the Sun mhi mamoto defeated all 70 men that day and yet he felt empty like I said before Vagabond is full of quotes and words of wisdom they may be teachings of the Buddhist

Faith or simple words to live by from characters who had lived long fulfilled lives and while I definitely was impacted by a number of these quotes and found profound meaning in them often I would come across words that felt a tad cliche obvious surface level advice that could boil down to live a good life or be kind or Go Your Own Way important sure but nothing you haven't heard before the one that stuck out the most to me was Focus too much on the leaf you'll miss the tree Focus too much on the tree you'll

miss the forest I would see this quote a few times throughout the story but I found no meaning in it they just felt rather Hollow and I wasn't alone in that moushi 2o did not fully understand why these words were meant to be so thought-provoking but it was here on the battlefield against the o ioka clan that it all started to make sense as moushi now crippled by the great battle and disillusioned by the lack of fulfillment from achieving what he had been fighting for wanders the land rebuking this cycle of death and killing he

had once called ambition cursing the part of him that once hungered for combat damning his blood Lust For proving his strength and declaring himself Invincible Under the Sun once you've decided to live by the sword doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong what matters most most is whether it's fun as tears flow down mhi's face so do tears fall down mine the missing piece to the puzzle had been found I finally see now my leaf had consumed me it wasn't my ambition it wasn't my channel it wasn't my videos it wasn't my talent my leaf

was me i' had become so focused on my own self-loathing concentrating on hating who I was and doing everything in my power to fight against it instead of letting go for it was simply a leaf in the vastness of of the forest my friends my family my interest the experiences I've had the laughs I've shared the people I've met and the love I've felt I am a product of so many things that had led me to this point while life has had its lows I've had plenty of highs this life can be ugly sometimes but

it's also full of beauty and I'm starting to think the point of this existence of mine is to appreciate all of it my way of the sword had been creating art for people who maybe feel the same thing I felt who've been through similar things and experienced similar emotions to try to reach people through the things that I create and while I was doing so focusing so hard on trying to cast out the person that I hated so much inside I've had so much fun in every other area but I was just too blind to

see it mhi realized in that moment that rebuking his ambition was not the answer being faced with the truth that even though his mindset had been skewed his way of the sword brought him joy that what was missing was something he had lost since since he was a child inner peace becoming one with infinity to truly be one with Heaven and Earth you must let go of the self that inside you exists all that you ever need and I see that now like a message in a bottle reaching Sandy Shores at my feet or a

specifically shaped cloud above as I stare into the infinite Sky when I was at my lowest point trying my hardest to make sense of what I had perceived as my failed veil of an ambition a sign from the heavens appeared before me that sign was Vagabond what was supposed to be a simple enjoyable readr of a series that many of my close friends considered to be a great manga became a journey of self-discovery through these Pages as I walked alongside a character whose life and struggle oddly resembled the internal battle I had been facing thanks

to the amazing Artistry of takiko inoi a man who needs no introduction from me I was able to let go of my leaf and become one with infinity by understanding the story of moushi mamoto I no longer want to run from who I am I no longer want to hold on to this pain I want to appreciate what this life has to offer I want to smile more too it wasn't my ambition that was the problem it was simply The Vessel I used to continue to hide from my problems but no more I can now

live my life free and use my way of the sword to share that freedom with as many people as I can thank you moushi you weren't a character that I was aspiring to be you were me a mirror being held up so I could finally face what I was running from a friend who I was able to walk this path with so I'll keep going till I master my way of the sword and I never got to say this to you but thank you too Mom I don't know if these words will ever reach you

but at the very least they will live on here I'll smile more and I'll keep chasing my ambition